Among the conventionally-known vehicle body structures with a detachable roof (hereinafter referred to also as “detachable-roof-equipped vehicle body structure”) is one disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 5478673 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Literature 1”), where, with a detachable roof (hereinafter referred to as “soft top”) detachably attached to a roof opening section provided in a roof of a vehicle body, a front end section (hereinafter referred to as “front pressed end section”) of the soft top is abutted against a front seal member of the roof opening section while a rear end section (hereinafter referred to as “rear pressed end section”) of the soft top is abutted against a rear seal member of the roof opening section. More specifically, a first seal section and a second seal section are disposed on the front seal member in such a manner that the first and second seal sections are spaced from each other in a front-rear direction of the vehicle body. Further, a lower sheet and a wire member are provided on the front pressed end section of the soft top, and the lower sheet is formed of flexible canvas. By the lower sheet being pulled downward by the wire member with the soft top attached to the roof opening section, the lower sheet is abutted against the first seal section in an oblique posture, so that tight sealing between the front pressed end section of the soft top and the front seal member can be secured. Tight sealing between the rear pressed end section of the soft top and the rear seal member can be secured in a similar manner.
In the detachable-roof-equipped vehicle body structure disclosed in Patent Literature 1, tight sealing between the front pressed end section of the soft top and the front seal section can be secured with the lower sheet abutted against the first seal section in an oblique posture. Thus, in order to secure the tight sealing between the front pressed end section of the soft top and the front seal member, it is preferable to increase pressing force of the lower sheet acting on the first seal section. However, because the lower sheet is formed of flexible canvas, it is difficult to increase the pressing force (secure sufficient pressing force) of the lower sheet on the first seal section, and the detachable-roof-equipped vehicle body structure disclosed in Patent Literature 1 has a room for improvement in this regard.
Further, in the detachable-roof-equipped vehicle body structure disclosed in Patent Literature 1, the lower sheet is abutted, from the front of the vehicle body, against the first seal section in an oblique posture. Thus, as the soft top moves, the lower sheet may undesirably move away from the first seal section. Therefore, when the soft top has moved, it is difficult to appropriately keep appropriate the pressing force of the lower sheet on the first seal section, and there is a room for improvement in this regard too.
Furthermore, in the detachable-roof-equipped vehicle body structure disclosed in Patent Literature 1, the wire member is mounted at its left and right end portions to left and right mounting members (hereinafter referred to as “left and right side rails”). The soft top is attached to the roof opening section by the left and right side rails being removably mounted on left and right side sections of the vehicle body. In this condition, the left and right end portions of the wire member are pulled by the left and right side rails, so that the wire member presses downward the lower sheet. By the lower sheet being depressed or pressed downward like this, the pressed end sections of the soft top abut against the first and second seal sections. Thus, the first and second seal sections are deformed so that the pressed end sections are supported by reactive force of the individual seal sections, with the result that tight sealing between the individual seal sections and the pressed end sections can be maintained.
In the detachable-roof-equipped vehicle body structure disclosed in Patent Literature 1, the soft top is constructed such that left and right end portions of the wire member are pulled by the left and right side rails and that the lower sheet is pressed downward by the thus-pulled wire member. Thus, in the neighborhood of the left and right side rails, pressing force of the wire member can be secured, and the lower sheet can be pressed downward in an appropriate manner. However, in a middle portion, in a vehicle width direction, of the wire member remote from the left and right side rails, it is difficult to secure sufficient pressing force of the wire member, and thus, measures have to be taken for the wire member to appropriately press downward the lower sheet. As such measures, it is conceivable to increase the outer diameter of the wire member so that sufficient pressing force can be secured throughout the entire range of the wire member. Namely, sufficient pressing force of the wire member can be secured even in the widthwise middle portion remote from the left and right side rails. However, if the outer diameter of the wire member is increased, it would become difficult to roll the wire member and thus it would take time and effort to fold the soft top when the soft top detached from the vehicle body is to be stored into a storage space.